Alan Smith Robertson – Come back home

This song comes with a worksheet to use in the classroom“Come back home” is a song written for English teachers to use in the ESL classroom to practise the interrogative and it comes with an easy-to-use worksheet!

This song contains 17 questions including 2 yes/no questions and 10 different question words (how, how long, how many, how much, when, where, which, who, whose, why).

  • where have you been?
  • did you have fun?
  • why did you go away for so long?
  • who have you seen?
  • what have you done?
  • why did you come back home?
  • how much have you learnt?
  • how many jobs have you worked?
  • did you conquer the world?
  • how many heads have you turned?
  • whose hearts did you break along the way?
  • how long are you staying?
  • when are you leaving again?
  • which way did you go?
  • how could you leave me alone?
  • how long are you gonna be away?
  • when are you coming back home?

This song comes with a worksheet, and is available for download in mp3 format as well as on Spotify so inspire your students to greatness in the classroom and practise grammar and vocabulary the fun way with this fun, original song. To see other suggestions on how to use this song in class, click here.

YouTube player

Lyrics

Hey there my dear! Welcome back home
Where have you been? Did you have fun?
Why did you go away for so long?
Who have you seen? What have you done?

And why did you come back home?

My life was empty when you left
You took your song away from me
I wish you didn’t have to leave the nest
But birds like you cannot be caged

How much have you learnt? How many jobs have you worked?
Did you conquer the world? How many heads have you turned?
And whose hearts did you break along the way?
How long are you staying? When are you leaving again?

And why did you come back home?

My life was empty when you left
You took your song away from me
I wish you didn’t have to leave the nest
But birds like you cannot be caged

And again you have gone, and again my heart broke
Which way did you go? How could you leave me alone?
This time how long are you gonna be away?
When are you coming back home?

Oh! why did you come back home?

I was so happy till you left
You took your song away again
I wish you didn’t have to leave the nest
But birds like you cannot be caged

My life is empty now you’ve left
You took your song away again
I wish you didn’t have to leave the nest
But birds like you cannot be caged

Suggested activity: fill the gaps

Download this exercise (PDF)

Look at the lyrics below, which question words do you think go into each gap?
Sometimes there is more than one possible question word.

Hey there, my dear! Welcome back home!
1_____________ have you been?
Did you have fun?
2_____________ did you go away for so long?
3_____________ have you seen?
4_____________ have you done?

And 5_____________ did you come back home?
My life was empty when you left, you took your song away from me
I wish you didn’t have to leave the nest, but birds like you cannot be caged

6_____________ have you learnt?
7_____________ jobs have you worked?
Did you conquer the world?
8_____________ heads have you turned?
And 9_____________ hearts did you break along the way?
10_____________ are you staying?
11_____________ are you leaving again?

And 12_____________ did you come back home?
My life was empty when you left, you took your song away from me
I wish you didn’t have to leave the nest, but birds like you cannot be caged

And again you have gone, and again my heart broke
13_____________ way did you go?
14_____________ could you leave me alone?
This time 15_____________ are you gonna be away?
16_____________ are you coming back home?

Oh! and 17_____________ did you come back home?
I was so happy ’til you left, you took your song away again
I wish you didn’t have to leave the nest, but birds like you cannot be caged
My life is empty now you’ve left, you took your song away again
I wish you didn’t have to leave the nest, but birds like you cannot be caged.

Listen to the song to check.

If you enjoyed the song or if you think it will be useful for your students at least, remember this song comes with a worksheet, and is available for download in mp3 format as well as on Spotify.